A man has been sentenced to ten months in prison after making indecent calls to police and assaulting an officer during his arrest.
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A man has been sentenced to ten months in prison after making a series of obscene calls to police while engaging in inappropriate behavior. Francis Page, 62, made these calls on July 15, during which he described his actions in explicit terms.
The Newport Crown Court heard details of the incidents that led to his arrest, highlighting not only the nature of the calls but also the aggressive behavior he displayed towards officers.
What Happened That Night?
On the evening of July 15, Francis Page called the South Wales Police public services contact center.
Initially, he spoke to a male operator but abruptly hung up. Following standard procedures, the operator returned the call, and Page answered, out of breath, reportedly stating that he was engaging in masturbation. The operator ended the call due to the lack of an imminent risk.
But this was just the beginning.
A short while later, Page dialed 999 again, this time reaching a female operator. He explicitly informed her that he had been a “naughty boy” and, as in the previous call, began breathing heavily. When pressed for the nature of his emergency, he bluntly replied, “I’m masturbating,” prompting the operator to end the call once more. Can you imagine the shock on the other end of the line?
The Confrontation with Police
When police arrived at Page’s residence to arrest him, his reaction was anything but cooperative. As officers attempted to take him into custody, he verbally abused them and physically lashed out, kicking one officer in the thigh and leaving a visible mark. His disrespectful behavior didn’t stop there—at Cardiff Bay police station, he made derogatory remarks toward a custody officer. What makes someone react like this when faced with law enforcement?
Page wasn’t a stranger to trouble. With a history of similar offenses, he had 21 prior convictions spanning 31 different crimes, including assaults and breaches of sexual harm prevention orders. At the time of these incidents, he was already serving an eight-month suspended sentence for previous violations. It raises the question: how many chances should one person get?
The Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
During the court proceedings, prosecutor Jac Brown emphasized the distress caused to police staff by Page’s actions. “Police call handlers already have a difficult job without dealing with such disgusting and upsetting calls that divert their time from real emergencies,” he stated. Judge Carl Harrison echoed these sentiments, highlighting the negative impact of Page’s calls on emergency services. It’s a reminder of the challenges faced by those on the front lines.
In his defense, Page’s attorney, Adam Sharp, argued that his client was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the offenses. Sharp noted that Page had been drinking heavily and expressed remorse for his actions, particularly the way he had addressed the police during his arrest. But does that excuse his behavior?
Ultimately, the court sentenced Page to four months for the indecent communications and an additional four months for assaulting an officer, with both sentences running concurrently. Additionally, six months of his suspended sentence were activated, resulting in a total sentence of ten months in prison. Page will serve half of this time before being eligible for release on license to complete the remainder in the community. What does this case say about accountability and consequences in our society?
